Thiruvananthapuram, April 20: Kerala’s public health system is taking significant steps to regain public trust following two alarming incidents where surgical instruments were left inside female patients during procedures. These incidents have raised serious concerns among the public, prompting immediate action from the health department.
In response, the department has issued comprehensive guidelines aimed at eliminating surgical errors and tightening accountability across all hospitals. A key directive mandates that every patient must wear a wristband containing complete information related to their surgery.
Additionally, the specific organ to be operated on must be clearly marked in the operating theater to avoid any misunderstandings. The guidelines also impose a strict ban on the use of mobile phones inside the operating room, emphasizing the need for undivided attention and strict adherence to infection-free protocols during surgeries.
Notably, these new rules apply uniformly to all procedures, regardless of their scale, encompassing both minor and major surgeries. A thorough pre-surgery assessment process has been made mandatory. Doctors and nurses must ensure that patients’ inpatient numbers and case records are fully completed. The ward doctor and the charge nurse are required to fill out a checklist before surgery and sign it. This checklist will then be reviewed and signed by the nursing officer overseeing the operating theater.
Only after all these steps are completed can the patient be taken to the operating room. The guidelines also stress accountability regarding surgical instruments. Hospitals must conduct a complete count of all surgical tools and items used before and after each surgery.
Before the surgery begins, the names and quantities of instruments must be displayed on a whiteboard. After the procedure, these items will be recounted, and the checklist will be submitted to the relevant authorities.
Officials state that this new framework has been designed to ensure clarity in responsibilities, making it difficult to overlook any mistakes or shift blame onto others.
In a shocking case of medical negligence, a 51-year-old woman from Alappuzha discovered a surgical scissor inside her abdomen nearly five years after undergoing a hysterectomy. Usha Josephkutty had her operation on May 10, 2021, and has since suffered from persistent abdominal pain and blood in her urine. It wasn’t until February, following an X-ray recommended by a urologist, that it was revealed a ‘Metzenbaum scissor’ was lodged inside her body. The instrument was subsequently removed in another surgery that month, highlighting a severe lapse in surgical protocol.
A similar incident occurred with Harshina from Kozhikode. On November 30, 2017, during her third cesarean section at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, a pair of surgical forceps was reportedly left inside her abdomen. She faced severe physical complications for years until the instrument was finally located and removed in September 2022. Harshina is still fighting a legal battle, seeking accountability and justice for the prolonged suffering caused by this negligence.
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